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Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup

Zuppa maritata Naples - Campania Preparation - Medium Serves 4 - 6 1/2 lb ground beef 1/2 lb ground veal, pork or turkey 1/4 cup bread crumbs (commercial, or grate your own from stale Italian bread) 1 egg 1 T parsley, finely chopped 1/2 clove garlic, minced (optional) 1/2 tsp paprika (optional) 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste 4 cups chicken broth 2 cups spinach, chopped 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

COMBINE the ground meat, bread crumbs, egg, parsley, minced garlic and salt and pepper in mixing bowl. Mix well with a fork and form into tiny meat balls (shown are about the size of a golf ball, but traditional meatballs are a bit smaller) with your hands. PLACE meatballs on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes at 350F, until brown. (Optionally, you can sauté the meatballs in olive oil until brown and procede with next paragraph, or bring your chicken stock to a boil, add the meatballs, simmer for about 25 minutes, add the spinach, cook until tender, stir in the cheese and serve) ABOUT ten minutes before serving, bring the chicken broth to a boil, add the spinach and cook until tender. Add the meatballs and return soup to a simmer. Stir in the Pecorino cheese and serve. ALTERNATE: you can sauté the meatballs in olive oil until brown and procede with step 3 (above), or bring your chicken stock to a low boil, add the uncooked meatballs, simmer for about 25 minutes, add the spinach, cook until tender, stir in the cheese and serve